Pre-clinical research

UK’s drug discovery potential at risk, warns industry body

Drug manufacturers in the UK are increasingly working in partnership to develop new medicines as companies move away from the traditional model of in-house research and development, according to a report published on 17 October 2016.…

Laquinimod inhibits secondary progressive MS in mouse model

Laquinimod reduced the number of mice who developed multiple sclerosis in one model, and slowed disease progression in another.…

Excess dietary zinc increases susceptibility to C difficile

Researchers found that mice given a high-zinc diet were more likely to experience Clostridium difficile infection at lower antibiotic doses.…

Newly identified compound could both treat and prevent malaria

Bicyclic azetidines have the potential to both cure malaria and prevent malaria transmission, study shows.…

Pharmacists should be trained to become clinical scientists, rather than researchers in pharmacy

Education and training should be provided for pharmacists so they have the opportunity to conduct research and contribute to translational research projects.…

Oral and genital herpes: four experimental treatment strategies

Herpes simplex virus causes recurrent outbreaks of painful genital or oral lesions and in some circumstances can be lethal. But treatment is currently limited to antivirals, which are only 50% effective at reducing transmission. New treatments are desperately needed — here are four of the most…

Progesterone accelerates recovery from flu virus

Progesterone was found to enhance recovery from influenza in mice and so could also have benefits for humans during disease outbreaks, say researchers…

Time to redefine pharmacy research

There is no universal definition of pharmacy research, and this may be one of the reasons for poor quality research in the sector.…

Existing drugs identified that could fight Zika virus

By screening 6,000 drugs for anti-Zika properties, researchers found three potential therapies against the Zika virus.…

New approaches to overcoming antimicrobial resistance

As antibiotic resistance continues to threaten the treatment of various infections, researchers are looking for new ways to supplement and in some cases replace failing antimicrobial drugs.…